Improvement in means for steering vessels



E. W BROOKS" Means forsteering Vessels.

" Patented A rin4,1a74.

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QLFMJk. 6WJLWTM I IMF/laM-l/Tl/MMP/i/fi Call. X (ossamveismaczss) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD W. BROOKS, OF OOVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FOR STEERING VESSELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,568, dated April 14, 1874; application filed December 26, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. BROOKS, of Oovington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steainboats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked'thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in a shaft located between the rudder-posts of a stern-wheel boat, and provided with a propeller-wheel, and attached to a crank and pitinan leading to a small engine, to assist the boat in getting in and out from shore, and holding her in the channel when floating or passing over shoal -watcr, said wheel to be hoisted out of water when the boat is well under headway.

, In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my invention, showing the position of the auxiliary propeller-wheel when in use. of the same; and Fig. 3 is arear elevation, show in g the position of the wheel when hoisted out of the water.

A A represent two of the rudder-posts of a stern-wheel boat. B represents a shaft provided with a propeller-wheel, O, and located between the rudder-posts A A. One end of the shaft B has its bearing in a suitable box,

a, which is pivoted or swiveled on the rudderpost, while the other end of the shaft is held between guides b b, and engages, by means of Fig. 2 is a side view a clutch, d, or other similar device, with the end of a short shaft passing through a box, a, stationary on the other rudder-post. This short shaft is provided with a crank, e, which is connected, by a pitinan, D, with an engine on deck or in the engine-room. The clutch d is held in gear by means of a spring, f. The propeller-wheel O thus arranged between the rudder-posts A A is for the purpose of assistingthe boat in getting in and out from shore, and holding her in the channel when floating or passing over shoal-water. This wheel, however, cannot assist the boat when moving forward or backward with great speed, but would be an obstruction, and hence it is necessary to raise it out of the water. This is accomplished by removing the spring-catch f from off the the clutch d, and raising this end of the shaft B by a lever, h, or other suitable means, the box a turning on its pivot to allow the shaft to be thus elevated.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The shaft B, with propeller-wheel 0 located between the rudder-posts A A, and extendin g transversely across the stern of a stern-wheel boat, pivoted at one end by box a, and adapted,

in connection with guides b b and operating means h, to be raised entirely out of the water when not required for use, and lowered again at will, the whole constructed as shown and specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD WV. BROOKS. In presence of DANIEL PUTHAM, L. F. BROOKS. 

